1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the protection against freezing of installations for the storage or supply of a liquid susceptible to freezing. Water is particularly of interest. Any volume of the liquid, small or large, is protected by the present invention whether such liquid is permanently present or not and whether the liquid is insufficiently buried to protect it against freezing.
2. Background of the Art
The invention thus is applicable, as will be seen below in the description, to water taps, meters, valves, pumps, drinking water reservoirs for animals, etc.
Traditionally, protection against freezing is effected by a supply of heat of electrical origin, or the draining of the volumes exposed, or by thermal insulation. In the last two cases the use of the appliances protected is slowed by additional manipulations, which at times are complicated and restricting.
Protection by draining involves subsequently another draining. Protection by thermal insulation requires the stripping of certain parts to gain access. In the aboveground type of water taps, the ratio between the thermal inertia of the material employed and the grade of the insulation permits only a presumption of the protection obtained. This explains the fact that long periods of freezing overcome this type of protection. The limits of this type of protection recede with the use of semi-buried or buried materials.
It is the object of the present invention to eliminate these problems, while permitting immediate use regardless of the climatic conditions.